Category Archives: Uncategorized

I hope that everyone is in good health and enjoyed the holiday season! In December I made a trip to Rochester, NY to hear the Eastman Jazz Ensemble play my arrangement of Jelly Roll Morton’s Kansas City Stomp. I wrote … Continue reading →

My time since teaching at Stanford Jazz Workshop has been very interesting. After graduating from Manhattan School of Music in May, I have been enjoying my first chunk of time outside of school since I was about 5 years old. … Continue reading →

This fall, I started my last (2nd) year studying at the Monk Institute program down in New Orleans, Louisiana. We’ve had some cool experiences in that program this year so far. Each month, a visiting artist comes and does a … Continue reading →

I just finished a 2 month gig at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was a unique opportunity to play with great musicians every day while still having plenty of free time to compose, practice, exercise, and enjoy … Continue reading →

It’s right around midterm time at Manhattan School of Music, and my sophomore year is proving to be quite a lot of work. Some days I have over 9 hours of classes back-to-back!  But my experience this summer teaching at … Continue reading →

I just returned back to Chicago after a week of family vacation to the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Besides snorkeling, stargazing, and just relaxing by the pool, there were some great musical experiences. The first was jamming with a trio … Continue reading →

The Stanford Workshop was a great experience and I feel that I really learned a lot about working with younger musicians during the two weeks that I was present there. Hanging with Junior Mance and hearing him talk about Cannoball … Continue reading →

I love the Stanford Jazz Workshop for so many reasons. I attended the camp and the residency when I was in high school, and since then I’ve worked as a counselor, and now as a mentor. But the most valuable … Continue reading →

The Mentors perform “The Core” by drummer Cory Cox at the Stanford Coffee House on July 22, 2010. (Excerpt.)

Working as a teacher at the Stanford Jazz Workshop involves a great deal of responsibility. As someone that the students look to for inspiration, information, and guidance, I want to make sure that I’m doing the best I can to … Continue reading →